


Slow Learner

by msraven



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 20:58:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1955928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msraven/pseuds/msraven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five Times Phil makes a wrong assumption about Clint and one time he knows he's right.</p><p>A fluffy, non-SHIELD AU written as a birthday gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slow Learner

**Author's Note:**

  * For [infiniteeight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/infiniteeight/gifts).



> Warning: Some small mentions of homophobia. Please be warned if this is a sensitive subject.
> 
> Written quickly and un-beta'd for [infiniteeight](http://archiveofourown.org/users/infiniteeight/pseuds/infiniteeight) whose awesome work I re-read religiously and regularly. Sorry this is late, but I didn't know until the day-of that it was your birthday. I hope you enjoy it.

**1\. There is no way he works here.**

Phil walks into the small shop trying not to show how completely out of his element he feels. There are several display racks along the center of the store filled with a dizzying array of colors and products that he couldn't even begin to fathom. Along the walls are tall stools set in front of mirrors, several of the stations filled with women being attended to by the staff.

Noting the black-on-black uniform the staff is wearing, Phil scans the store looking for someone free to help him and his eyes land on a man leaning against the back counter. He has his back turned to Phil and is wearing black cargo pants that highlight the curve of his ass and a tight black t-shirt that melds to the muscled contours of his back and shoulders. Phil takes a second to look his fill before reluctantly turning away. He's here to buy a gift, not ogle other customers, no matter how good they look.

"Hi! I'm Clint. Can I help you find something?"

Phil turns back to find the man from the counter smiling at him. He's even better looking from the front, with gorgeous eyes and a friendly smile. Phil lets his eyes drift down to where Clint's shirt pulls tight across his chest on the pretense of checking that yes, he is wearing a nametag, and then notices that he's wearing an apron filled with makeup brushes like the rest of the staff.

"You work here?" Phil asks, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. 

"I do," Clint answers with no embarrassment. "Was there something I could help you with?"

Before Phil can respond, an older woman walks up and places a hand on Clint's shoulder before reaching up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Clint! You always have the best advice and I love my new shades."

"You're welcome Muriel. Have a nice dinner tonight."

"Oh, I will. Jason won't know what hit him."

Muriel walks out of the store with a laugh and Clint turns back to Phil with an expectant smile. 

"I need to buy a gift for my niece. Chelsea's turning sixteen and her dad had a rule about no makeup until now. A co-worker suggested your store."

"Well I think we have just what you need." Clint walks toward one of the tables in the center of the store and Phil follows, eyes flicking down to Clint's ass before quickly looking back up when the other man motions toward the display. "We have starter kits based on coloring. Dark hair, fair skin, bright blue eyes?"

Phil blinks. "I'm sorry?"

"Your niece. Does she take after your coloring?"

"Oh! Yes, uh... yes she does. Except her eyes are hazel, like her dad."

"She sounds beautiful," Clint compliments and reaches into a drawer to grab a box, hesitates, and pulls a small bag out as well. "I'm not sure what you planned on spending on the gift and I swear I'm not just trying to make a sale—we don't work on commission—but can I suggest one of our cleansing kits as well?"

"Cleansing kit?"

"It comes with makeup remover, cleanser, toner, and a sample of moisturizer. This one is for all skin types since I don't know your niece. It's just... Let me say first that it's already great that you came here, since our line is much gentler to young skin than a lot of the over-the-counter brands, but having a good cleansing regimen is important to instill early. It will hopefully prevent a lot of the heavy breakouts a lot of teenagers get."

"Oh," Phil says dumbly. "Sure. It's her sweet sixteen."

Clint beams at him and Phil's stomach turns over at how much it light up his face. 

"If you'll follow me to the counter, I can check you out."

Phil valiantly keeps his eyes off Clint's ass as they walk toward the back of the store. It's not until he's signing for the purchase that a concern strikes him. 

"She'll know how to use everything, right?"

"I'm sure Chelsea has other girlfriends already wearing makeup and, if she wants some pointers, she can always come back into the store. Anyone will be glad to help her."

"When would you be here?" Phil asks before he realizes how it may sound. "Um... Since you've already been so helpful."

Clint smiles and Phil has a feeling that he's fighting a smirk. "I'm here most days except Mondays and Wednesdays. I usually open if you want to be sure to catch me." He glances down at the receipt before handing it over. "Thanks for coming in, Phil. I'm sure your niece will love the gift."

"Thank you for your help."

Phil takes the receipt and the bag, letting his finger brush against Clint's during the exchange and wishing he had reason to linger.

  


**2\. He has to be nice to customers.**

"You're the best, Uncle Phil."

Phil leads Chelsea into the store with a smile. "Only the best for you. Plus your dad and I would only end up making you look like a raccoon."

He looks around, happy when he sees Clint in a corner of the store and then struggling with his disappointment when Phil realizes that Clint is in the middle of taking off his apron. He hadn't been able to come up with a good enough excuse for them to arrive closer to the store's opening. Before Phil can get someone else's attention, Clint looks over and grins. 

"Phil!" Clint greets as he walks toward them. "It's good to see you again and you must be Chelsea. Happy Birthday."

Chelsea blushes and ducks her head. "Thank you."

"How can we be of help?"

"We were hoping to take you up on your offer on helping Chelsea with the kit I got her, but it looks like you're on your way out, so..."

"No, no. Nonsense. I don't mind. Chelsea, why don't you sit on this stool over here?"

Phil watches, transfixed, as Clint proceeds to spend the next forty-five minutes utterly charming Chelsea while he patiently teaches her the finer points of applying makeup and stressing the importance of cleansing at the end of the day. When Chelsea mentions that her mom, Phil's sister, had died when she was twelve, there is genuine sadness in Clint's eyes when he hugs Chelsea and looks over at Phil. Clint tells Chelsea how lucky she is that she has such a great family and there's something in his voice that makes Phil think that Clint's had his own share of grief in his life. 

"Sorry for keeping you so long," Phil apologizes when they're done. 

"It's not a problem. I'm not due at the studio for another thirty minutes."

"Studio?"

"I teach at The Red Room."

"Oh!" Chelsea says. "My friend Marcie takes self defense classes there. Dad's been thinking of signing me up."

"Marcie's in my class, which I'm going to be late for if I don't get a move on."

"I feel like we at least owe you a cup of coffee for all your trouble," Phil offers, reluctant to lose his last reason for seeing Clint.

"Nah. It was my pleasure. It was great meeting you, Chelsea. Maybe I'll see you in class sometime." Clint gives Chelsea another hug and Phil can't help feeling a little jealous. "Bye, Phil."

Clint gives him a little wave and walks off. Phil has absolutely no qualms in watching Clint's ass while he walks away despite the knowing look Chelsea gives him.

  


**3\. He's probably straight.**

"Oh! Hi Phil."

"Clint," Phil smiles back despite his surprise. 

Over the past three months since Chelsea's birthday and since she started training at The Red Room, all Phil has heard from his niece and his brother-in-law is how wonderful Clint is. He knows that Clint is part owner of the martial arts studio and took a second job selling makeup to help pay for the new building they'll be moving into over the summer. He's also been told that Clint is a competitive archer and once been scouted by the Olympic team, but had to turn them down because he couldn't cover the cost of moving to the training center.

"Clint! You came!" Chelsea cries from behind Phil, flying down the stairs and into Clint's arms. 

"Course I did, kiddo. I promised, didn't I? Which dress did you end up choosing?"

"The purple one. Does that mean we can use the sparkly purple shadow?"

"Sure," Clint answers, throwing another smile at Phil as he lets Chelsea drag him up the stairs. "Nice to see you again, Phil. Hey Jeff!"

Phil watches Clint and Chelsea until they disappear into the bathroom before looking over his shoulder at Jeff. "Is this the real reason I'm here tonight?"

"My little girl's going to the prom. I need all the moral support I can get."

Phil follows Jeff into the kitchen and accepts the beer he's offered. "Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you have no love life to speak of and Clint's a great guy that you clearly find attractive?"

"You realize that, with my luck, he's probably straight."

"We wouldn't put you through that. Clint told us he was gay."

Phil's eyebrows go up. "How exactly did that come up in conversation? Please tell me you didn't ask him on my behalf."

"Nah. Remember Chelsea's friend Daniel? Well he finally came out of the closet and has been having a rough time of it. Guess their little group is torn. They love Danny, but being ostracized in high school isn't easy."

"Why didn't she talk to you? Or me?" Phil frowns. He's always thought that he and Chelsea had a great relationship.

"Clint says that the kids tend to talk to him because he's a neutral party. Family tends to try and jump into fix-it mode instead of listening. He only told me about it because he knows it's a sensitive subject."

"What did he tell her?"

"That he went through a similar experience coming out when he was in high school and that he couldn't have made it if his foster sisters hadn't stuck by him through it all. Didn't sound like it was an easy story for him to tell."

Phil looks down at his beer for a moment. "Clint's a good guy, isn't he?"

"He is," Jeff nods and reaches out to tap Phil on the shoulder with his beer bottle. "So are you, Phil. Chelsea and I think you'll be good together. You deserve to be happy."

"What about you? It's been four years."

Jeff smiles, his eyes going soft and sad. "I got my chance with true love. Not sure I'll ever be ready to try again. Having Chelsea's more than enough of a happy ending for me."

Phil has always envied the love his sister and Jeff had shared. While Phil's not ready to believe that he could find anything as strong, even he's willing to admit that it's been a long time since he last dated. Maybe Clint will be a good opportunity to give it another try.

  


**4\. He couldn't possibly be interested in me.**

Phil and Jeff have migrated into the living room by the time Clint jogs down the stairs close to an hour later. Seeing him again immediately has Phil mentally backtracking. Guys that look like Clint are never interested in guys like Phil.

"Chelsea's getting dressed," Clint tells them as he flops onto the couch next to Phil. "When's Justin getting here?"

"Knowing him, exactly at six. You want a beer?"

"Sure! Thanks."

Jeff gets up and heads to the kitchen as Clint grins over at Phil. "How's it feel to be the other barrel of the shotgun?"

"Huh?"

Clint laughs and Phil can't keep from smiling at the carefree sound. "I figured that we're here in place of a shotgun. Nothing like a friend with easy access to projectiles and an ex-Ranger uncle to intimidate the hell out of a kid."

"I hadn't thought of that," Phil admits, pleasantly surprised that Clint seems to know a little of his history. 

Jeff comes back with Clint's beer and he has enough time to take one sip before the doorbell rings. All three of them head to the entryway, with Phil and Clint glowering in the background—as per their prescribed roles—while Jeff answers the door. Justin looks sufficiently cowed as he greets them until a light cough brings all of their attention to where Chelsea is slowly making her way down the stairs. 

Chelsea looks breathtaking. Clint has done a great job with her hair and makeup, making her already beautiful features sparkle while still keeping Chelsea looking like the sixteen year old she is. Her dress is a deep purple with a fitted bodice and a skirt that flares and lands tastefully just past her knees. Phil recognizes that the jewelry Chelsea's wearing once belonged to her mother and grief suddenly hits him so strongly that he finds it difficult to breathe. 

Before it can overwhelm him, there is a warm weight at his side and a strong hand at his back. Phil leans into Clint's support thankfully, using it to anchor him through the sudden storm of emotions. He takes a few calming breaths and is able to step forward and give Chelsea a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

"You look stunning, sweetheart," Phil tells her and is rewarded with a beaming smile. 

Chelsea gives Clint a hug as well, who whispers in her ear to make her giggle before sending another intimidating glare at poor Justin. The boy swallows heavily and does his best to smile while Jeff takes a few, customary pictures. 

"Thanks," Phil says to Clint once the kids are gone.

"Thought like you could use a little support. I take it Chelsea looks a lot like her mom?"

"Yes, she does," Jeff answers wistfully and then visibly shakes off the dark mood. "I've got pizza on the way. Hope you guys like meat lover's."

"I should probably head out," Clint starts to say, but Jeff is already steering them both back into the living room. 

"Nonsense. Least I could do is feed you. Plus you can't waste good beer."

Clint doesn't argue and sits back on the couch next to Phil while the three of them eat dinner and watch the basketball game. It's a nice way to spend the evening, if you ignore Jeff's less-than-subtle attempts to point out all the things Clint and Phil have in common. By the time Clint says that he really needs to get going, Phil doesn't need the pointed look from his brother-in-law to stand and walk Clint to the door.

"Sorry about that," Phil apologizes as they step outside and he shuts the front door behind them. 

"It's okay. He means well. They both love you."

"They? Why do I get the feeling that there's more to this than Jeff listing all of my firearms training tonight?"

They've reached Clint's car and he grins before ducking his head shyly. It gives him an air of vulnerability and Phil has the sudden urge to hug Clint and possibly never let go.

"Chelsea's been on me to just ask you out already. She programmed your number into my phone last week."

"She did?" Phil croaks and then clears his throat. "It's a bit presumptuous, but I don't really mind that she did."

Clint looks up, eyes going slightly wide and filling with hope, telling Phil that he was wrong about his not being interested. 

"Is there a reason you hadn't already called me?" Phil has to ask.

"Guys like you aren't typically interested in guys like me. You were in the military, have two degrees, and work at a huge security firm. I'm a college dropout that has to work two jobs to support myself."

"You own a business and are doing what you can to help ensure its future. You're patient, kind, hard working and I am very much interested in you."

"Oh," Clint smiles. "So you'd be willing to have dinner with me next Saturday?"

"Yes, I'd love to have dinner with you."

"Great! I'll, um, text you details later in the week? I'd try and think something up now, but I really have to go. I promised Nat I'd help close down the studio."

"Not a problem. Later in the week is fine."

Clint starts to walk around to the driver's side and then stops, retracing his steps and placing a kiss on Phil's cheek near the corner of his mouth. It's fleeting, but full of warmth, leaving Phil wanting more. 

"Bye Phil. I'll see you Friday."

  


**5\. He just wants a fling.**

It's not until they're both already naked and sweaty on Clint's bed with Clint scrounging in his bedside table for lube and a condom that Phil realizes this could get messy, and not in the fun way. The only family Phil has left both adore Clint and when this affair ends—which it invariably will, because guys like Clint who fall into bed on a first date are rarely looking for anything long-term—it's going to be difficult for everyone to stay neutral. 

"Ah ha!" Clint says triumphantly, holding up a half empty bottle of lube and a single condom. "Knew I still had one in there."

Clint doesn't give Phil time to think too hard about why he only had one left and how it connects to Phil's earlier thought. He presses his weight back over Phil and kisses him deeply, letting their heated bodies slide together, and shoving all other thoughts out of Phil's brain except hot and sex and now.

Phil's brain tries to come back online a bit later as they're panting side-by-side on the bed, but then Clint tosses the tied off condom into the trash bin across the room, makes a cursory swipe over them both with his t-shirt, and lays his head on Phil's chest before slinging an arm around his waist. Clint hums contentedly when Phil shifts his own arm, wrapping it around Clint's back so they're properly cuddling. Between his recent mind blowing orgasm and Clint's warmth, Phil slips easily into sleep.

He wakes a few hours later, groggy and with a very strong desire to pee. It takes Phil a second to remember where he is and suppresses a groan of self derision. He gingerly moves out from underneath Clint to use the bathroom, relieved when his movements don't wake the other man. 

As he washes his hands, Phil stares hard at his reflection in the mirror and berates himself for letting his attraction get the better of him. Clint had sent him a text earlier in the week asking if Phil would mind coming over to Clint's apartment for dinner, citing his self-imposed budget. Phil had agreed easily. Dinner had gone well—Clint was a surprisingly good cook—and then they'd moved to the living room to finish the bottle of wine Phil had brought over. They'd been in the middle of a discussion about comic books, of all things, when Clint had leaned over and kissed Phil. He still doesn't know how he'd let it progress so quickly from there, but once Phil had gotten a taste of Clint's mouth and skin, he couldn't make himself stop. Now that he's had time to stop and think, it's clear to Phil that all of this must have been leading up to a one-night stand. Why else would Clint invite Phil—a man he barely knows—into his apartment on a first date?

Phil steps out of the bathroom debating whether sneaking out now would be the best course of action and is surprised to find Clint awake and sitting up in the bed.

"Hi," Clint says, looking adorably rumpled and sleepy. Some of what Phil is thinking must show on his face, because Clint blinks and is suddenly more awake. "Shit. You're leaving, aren't you?"

"What? No. I..."

Clint rubs at his face with a hand and his shoulders droop dejectedly. "Fuck. I knew I wasn't— Shit. Gotta stop believing you're better than you are, Clint," he mumbles to himself before lifting his head and giving Phil a smile so fake it could have been carved in plastic. "Look. Don't worry about it. I'll tell Chelsea the date didn't go well. No big deal. She doesn't have to know we were after different things."

"Wait. What?"

"It was fun, yeah? But I get it. I'm not— Anyway, I think most of your clothes are in the living room. You can make your way out? Just lock the knob as you leave, don't' worry about the deadbolt."

Clint won't meet his eyes, gaze focused just past Phil's shoulder and he gets a sinking feeling that he was wrong yet again. Instead of walking out and finding his clothes, Phil sits back down on the bed. He leans across Clint, placing his hand next to Clint's hip so he has no choice but to look Phil in the eye.

"You're not what, Clint?"

"The kind of guy anyone wants for more than just a good fuck." 

There's anger blazing in Clint's eyes, but most of what Phil sees is hurt and bile churns in his stomach at being the cause of it.

"I'm sorry."

"Not a big deal," Clint shrugs. "Like I said, I had a good time and it's been a while, so thanks."

"It's been a while for me too, long enough that I was about to do something monumentally stupid and let you get away."

Clint frowns warily, but doesn't say anything in response. Phil sighs and shifts so he can pick up one of Clint's hands from where they'd been clenched in his lap.

"I've been making a lot of assumptions—most of them wrong—about you and me and what you want. How about we start over? I really want a chance to get to know you, Clint, and I promise to stop jumping to conclusions."

"Okay," Clint says slowly and then glances at the clock. Phil looks over too and grimaces. It's three in the morning.

"I should probably go."

Phil starts to get up, but Clint tugs lightly on his hand to keep him where he is. 

"Or you could stay," Clint suggests. "Just to sleep. I, uh, liked having you here and was kind of looking forward to making you breakfast."

Phil nods and lets Clint up to grab a pair of gym shorts for him to borrow. It's not quite the do-over Phil is suggesting, but the thought of waking up to Clint's sleepy smile is too tempting an offer to turn down. They resettle back in the bed with Clint's head back on Phil's chest and their arms around each other. It feels good—right in a way that he's never experienced—and Phil starts to think that maybe he was wrong about more than just Clint. Maybe this is his chance after all.

  


**+1. He loves me.**

"There you are!"

"Sorry, sorry," Clint apologizes, giving Phil a quick kiss before bounding up the stairs. "I'll tell you about it when we're done, but I swear Nat set up these Mommy and Me classes just to torture me."

Phil grins and makes a shooing motion with his hands as Chelsea pops her head out of the bathroom and drags Clint inside.

"That Clint?" Jeff asks around a mouthful of pizza as he steps into the entryway. Chelsea's Senior Ball is not as stressful as her Junior Prom had been the year before, especially since her friends had all decided to go as a group instead of with individual dates. "He get held up by all the single moms asking him out again?"

"Sounds like it."

"You'd think the 'I'm gay and live with my boyfriend' thing would keep them away."

Phil shrugs. He knows what Clint looks like during his sessions—glistening with sweat in the tight fitting uniform Natasha always buys—and can't really blame the women for trying. All the attention Clint gets doesn't bother him as much as it does Clint. After all, Phil is the only one who gets to make Clint sweaty without any clothes on, but that's probably something Jeff doesn't need to hear. 

Jeff rolls his eyes anyway, accurately guessing Phil's thoughts, and motions toward the living room with the rest of his pizza. "Come on. Game's started."

It only takes Chelsea and Clint thirty minutes to get her ready this time since she'd chosen a less complicated hairstyle. Clint comes downstairs while she's getting dressed and easily slips under Phil's arm when he lifts it off the couch. He steals a sip of Phil's beer before turning to give Phil a proper kiss hello.

"Hi," Clint smiles softly when they break apart. Phil smiles back, happy to still see the quiet awe in Clint's eyes after all their time together.

"Hi, yourself."

"You guys are sickeningly cute, you know that?" Jeff grouses from the recliner.

"All your fault," Phil retorts happily without looking away from Clint.

Clint kisses him again, causing Jeff to groan dramatically from his chair and Chelsea to coo at them when she walks into the living room.

"Awww," Chelsea says from the doorway with a wide smile. The three men stand to look at her proudly and Chelsea twirls in a circle to show off her dress.

"You look beautiful, as always, sweetheart," Phil compliments while the other two men nod in agreement.

"Do you need me to drive you over to Marcie's?" Clint offers.

"Nah. Dad's taking me, but I have a few more minutes before we need to leave." Chelsea reaches into her small purse for her phone and Clint starts to step forward to take it.

"Oh! Right. Let me get a picture of you."

"Nope," Chelsea responds, pulling her phone close to her chest. "Not for me."

Phil reaches out to grab Clint's hand before he can get further away while Jeff surreptitiously shuts the game off. Phil turns Clint to face him, smiling at his confused frown, and takes both of his hands before dropping down to one knee.

"Phil, what are you— Oh my God..."

"Clint," Phil smiles up at him. "I wanted to ask you in front of my family because they helped me find you and because we already consider you a part of us. Will you make it official and marry me?"

Clint can only nod emphatically as Phil slips the simple band out of his pocket and onto his finger. When Phil stands, Clint throws his arms around him, holding tight and whispering fervently in his ear.

"Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you. What else would I say, but yes?"

Phil hugs Clint back just as tightly. "I never doubted it for a second."

_fin_


End file.
